Buzz Bissinger, the best-selling author of Friday Night Lights and Three Nights in August, will be speaking at Maryville University on Monday, June 11 about his latest book, a memoir entitled Father’s Day.
After making a career of investigative journalism, Bissinger tackles a much more personal endeavor in Father’s Day, which chronicles a two-week cross-country road trip taken with his son Zachary in 2007.
Bissinger, who shares custody of Zachary with his ex-wife, found the writing process difficult.
“Right after the trip, I wrote for about six months and then I put it away,” Bissinger recalled. “It wasn’t good. It wasn’t getting to the heart of the truth. It just wasn’t right.”
Bissinger shelved the project for nearly two years before tackling it again.
“The gap wasn’t caused by sloth, it was caused by having difficulty getting to the raw bones of what I wanted to say,” he said. “Then you sort of say, ‘Okay, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.’ The other thing that helps is when your editor calls you up and says, “Where the hell is it?’”
In his most personal book yet, Bissinger explores his relationship with his son. Along with twin brother Gerry, Zachary was born 13 weeks early in 1983. While Gerry had no long-term consequences, however, Zachary suffered oxygen deprivation and subsequent trace brain damage.
“I’m writing about someone I love to death, but I’m also writing honestly about having a child who was different from what I imagined,” Bissinger said. “He was never the child I wanted—both for his sake and for mine. I always mourn for him, for what he misses in life.”
In 1983, Zach and Gerry were the youngest male twins to survive at Pennsylvania Hospital. Today, the twins’ lives could not be more different. Gerry, 28, is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, preparing to become a teacher. Zachary lives with his parents and works part-time at both a grocery store and the Philadelphia Daily News performing menial tasks. Although he suffers no physical impairments, Zachary’s cognitive abilities remain comparable to those of an eight-year-old child.
“He’s very happy, very optimistic,” Bissinger said of his son. “He has no concept of jealousy and he takes great joy in the success of others. He’s pretty much the exact opposite of me.”
The 2007 road trip opened Bissinger’s eyes to a new side of Zachary, who will never drive a car, earn a college degree, kiss a girl, or live alone.
“Have I changed because of the trip? No. Can I still fly off the handle? Yes. Can I still drop the f-bomb? Yes,” said Bissinger. “What the trip did was reinforce our bond. I learned that Zach has the ability for empathy. He has these quirky powers of observation and a need for independence. He’s much more self-aware than I thought.”
Father’s Day is Bissinger’s first memoir, marking a departure from the investigative journalism for which he is known. In 1987, he and two colleagues at The Philadelphia Inquirer were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their six-part series on the Philadelphia court system. His 1989 book Friday Night Lights received critical acclaim and was adapted into a movie in 2004. Bissinger’s other books include A Prayer for the City, Three Nights in August, and Shooting Stars. He has also published countless articles for Vanity Fair.
Writing Three Nights in August, which explores a 2003 three-game series between the Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs through the eyes of legendary Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, provided Bissinger with a powerful appreciation for St. Louis and the city’s beloved baseball team.
“I have great affection for the town,” he said. “I love watching the best fans in baseball, which they are. They don’t go to boo or get drunk. I love their sea of red. It is a pleasure to go back.”
Even with all his past successes, however, Bissinger has found a new level of personal satisfaction with the publication of Father’s Day.
“Frankly, people have responded in an emotional way that no one responded to Friday Night Lights,” he said.
Bissinger recently spoke at a high school graduation for disabled children, recognizing Zachary in the students crossing the stage, and recognizing himself in the parents.
“If you don’t cry when you see that, you don’t know what’s important in life,” he said. “It’s not success, which I’ve always been addicted to. At the end of the day, God’s not going to remember how many books you sold. Neither is your family.”
Bissinger reads from Father's Day, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing, on Monday, June 11 at 7 p.m. The event will be held at the Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Dr., St Louis, MO, 63141. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit maryville.edu.
